... is Over The Top!

I've been working my way through the posts on my reader for about half an hour this morning. As ever, I was happy to see that Lisa of Lisa's Yarns had posted, for her blog is fantastic! So into the post I click, and am excited to hear that she has been given an award! I was even more excited to find that she has passed it on to me!

The Over The Top award is given by bloggers to other blogs they love! I am very happy to recieve this from such a lovely person!

With this award comes a questionnaire type thing(hurrah) and the chance to pass the blog on to six other bloggers!

1. Your hair: short
2. Your father: absent
   
3. Where is your cell phone : no idea!

1. Your mother: amazing
   
2. Your father: absent
   
3. Your favorite food: CAKE!
   
4. Your dream from last night: I don't remember!
   
5. Your favorite drink: Earl Grey
   
6. Your dream/goal: to have children and grandchildren, to have a job working with kids, to live in a Victorian house.
   
7. What room are you in: living room
   
8. What is your hobby: reading/art
9. What is your fear: Not making a difference in the world.
   
10. Where do you want to be in 6 years: Question 8 minus the grandchildren part! Hopefully somewhere in Scotland.
    
11. Where were you last night: Out for dinner with a freind, then at home
    
12. Something you are not: quiet
    
13. Muffins: Chocolate!
    
14. Wish list items: Kitchen Aid Mixer, more baking stuff, art for our flat, new art supplies, a new coat
    
15. Where did you grow up: Ayrshire, Scotland
    
16. Last thing you did: Had a cup of tea
    
17. What are you wearing: Wide leg jeans, white tshirt, grey v-neck sweatshirt.
    
18. Your TV: Is currently showing America's Next Top Model
19. Your pets: None - Dave is allergic!
20. Your friends: The best, ever. My freinds are amazing!
    
21. Your life: pretty fantastic!
    
22. Your mood: content
    
23. Missing someone: yep
    
24. Vehicle: The bus!
    
25. Something you're not wearing: jewellery
    
26. Your favorite store: H&M
    
27. Your favorite color: red/purple
    
28. When's the last time you laughed: This morning
    
29. When's the last time you cried: I cant remember
    
30. Your best friend: AWESOME
    
31. One place you go over and over: Greenock :)
    
32. One person who emails me regularly: None of my freinds email much!
    
33. Favorite place to eat: too hard!

And, the really fun part, these are the people I would like to give the award!

I know it's kind of cheating, but I'm passing it back to Lisa because I would have chosen her if someone else had given me the award!

Hannah of Seeds and Stitches

Fay of Dreaming of an Aga

Grace of A Southern Grace

Emily of Sugar Plum

Lacey of Perks of Being a JAP

You are awesome girlies!

...is having a quiet day.

So, this past weekend, I was volunteering at Oxjam Glasgow. I am happy to say that the venues Dave and I looked after made a fair bit of money, as well as raising alot of awareness about climate change, and the Copenhagen summit! I will write about the event in more depth when I have edited the photos I took.

One thing I'll say is, campaigning is EX-HAUSTING! We got home at 2am this morning, having decided that for Dave, a drive and then sleeping later was better than getting up at dawn's crack and dealing with rush hour traffic. I've woken up this morning feeling hungover, though I had nothing to drink. In a way though, I think it's good, becuase I obviously put alot into the weekend!

When I stumbled sleepily into the kitchen this morning, I was greeted by the ginger bread I made on Thursday, which I had completely forgotten about. It seems a cup of tea and some gingerbread makes one feel alot better! For the rest of the day, I shall be doing some reading(I have added two books to my reading, hurrah!), perhaps some baking, and editing my photos!

Of course, this will be accompanied by lots of cups of tea!

...on a house viewing, boredom, kiddie germs and Oxjam

Since my last post, I've done two days of child nannying, which was lovely for the most part. I've also spent an hour in PC world both of those nights. PC World does not thrill me. Shops with candles, throws and home stuff thrill me. Shops with cute jewllery and scarves thrill me. The baking section of most places thrill me. PC World bores me. On the second night, If Dave hadn't chosen a netbook, I would probably have cried at losing two hours of my life there.

Today, I woke up blocked up, with sore ears and feeling a bit nauseous. I have however resigned myself to the fact that while working with two small children - with my rubbish immune system- I will catch bugs, so we have medicines aplenty! I had a Beechams beery flavoured sachet thing with some Ribena in it,and after some medicinal TV, off I went to meet Dave to look at a flat to possibly buy. It was a conversion in a gorgeous victorian building. It had high ceilings, bay window and cornices. There was alot about it we liked, but it was in quite a state of disrepair, and we decided that it was too big a project to take on. It means, though, that we've come away with a realistic view of what we can do. We might keep an eye on it incase the price goes down enough for us to have a kitchen and bathroom put in professionally though!

This evening, I made some gingerbread (recipe to be posted), yum yum, and am relaxing as this weekend I will be campaigning for Oxfam at Oxjam Glasgow. Dave is managing the stage at our favourite venue The 13th Note, and his band will be headlining the stage. I shall be asking people sign my petition, an draw pictures of themselves in blue. We want the public, and our politicians, to Talk About Climate Change Till We're Blue In The Face! There are Oxjam gigs all over the UK, so if anyone can go to one, please do, and If you are near Glasgow this weekend, please attend!

I will be staying up tonight for Question Time, Which will feature Nick Griffin. Whilst I hate him, and everything his party stands for, he has been elected, and so has the right to speak. As a society, we place a great deal of value in free speech, so taking away his right to it would be hypocritical. I also feel strongly that if he is on programmes like Question Time, people will see the truth of what he is - a racist bigot. If he's never allowed to speak, he becomes mythical, and that does no good.

For the moment, I am watching the Masterchef final, and having a cup of tea.

...cooks when she has the grumps

After finishing my last post, about my rubbish Uni stealing my graduation, I went for a walk. For only the second time since we moved, it was tipping it down, so I only got as far as Somerfield(5 minutes down the road). I bought a copy of Cosmo and a box of Borders Dark Chocolate Gingers. Normally, the reading of a magazine and having my favourite 'for a treat' biscuits with a cup of tea would sort me out, but it didn't. Clearly I had the big grumps.

I don't know about anyone else, but for me, cooking is a thing that completely clears my head, so I got home, had a rummage through the fridge/cupboard and without having to buy anything extra, I made stuffed chicken with leek wrappers. It worked pretty well, though it's not the most beautiful looking of foods. Leeks are really really good if you bake them though, the go all soft and sweet and yum! I realise this is my second chicken with leeks recipe in as many weeks, but it tastes different!


Stuffed Chicken with Leek Wrappers and Mustardy Veg

2 large chicken breasts
1 leek, topped and tailed and sliced through the radius, so that the leaves can be peeled off
50g mature cheddar (or your favorite cheese)
2tbsp mustard
100mls tomato puree
100mls + 3tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic,minced or finely chopped
2 baking potatoes (or 4 medium potatoes), halved then sliced to 1cm thick
2 carrots, sliced to 1cm medallions
pepper
1tbsp butter

• preheat oven to 180c
  
• cut a 'pocket' in each chicken breast so that it can be flattened
• place 25g cheese and half a tbsp mustard in the middle of each
• fold over side till no filling can be seen
• use 2-3 leek leaves to wrap up, leaviing most of the ends underneath
• place in oven dish
• drizzle with 3tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with pepper
• in a a small bowl, mix olive oil, tomato puree and garlic
• add to dish
• put dish in oven, cook for 40 mins
• stir tomato mixture occasionally
• after 10 mins, put potatoes and carrots in a pot and fill with boiling water, making sure water covers veg
• bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins
• drain veg and add 1tbsp mustard, butter and pepper to tastes to pot.
• stir with a metal spoon, so that mixture is evenly dispensed and potatoes are fluffy and crushed around edges
• after 40 mins, remove chicken from oven. Cut to check it is cooked through
• remove chicken - leeks will be a little burnt around the edges, but it tastes nice!
• place oven dish on the hob, and stir tomato mixture to incorporate olive oil
• serve with chicken and potatoes.

This should have oozy mustardy cheese in the middle, tender chicken and soft, sweet leaks on the outside. Nommed. I am feeling a bit more cheerful now, as I know I can't do anything about the situation, and I've had a nice calm evening. Now, I shall watch America's Next Top Model and eat my ice cream and ginger biscuits!

... has the grumps!

I just found out that at Uni, they haven't transfered me to the register of the BA course I was supposed to graduate from this month. I'm still registered as BEd student, and the person who agreed to me switching over is no longer at the Uni. This means that there now isn't time to do it before graduation, and that I will have to wait till next year!

I suppose people might think it is a little thing to get annoyed about, but I think having done all the work, I should be allowed to have the fancy ceremony in the big hall and have people clap. At the very least I should get the wee bit of paper that says I've done it!

I had a bit of an angry cry, then I emailed the head tutor from the course in the hope that I will at least be able to have the paper evidence of my degree. For now, I am going to go for a walk to try to get rid of my grumps, since I can't do anything else about the situation!

... on a Sunday tradition - waffles!

Cinnamon-Apple Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream and Honey

So, tis Sunday, the day of rest. Dave is now home, and we both have this random cold.flu/cough thing. Usually on a Sunday, we make sure to do something or go somewhere, but adventures are a bit much for both of us at the moment!

All I've done today is read, look at blogs and drool over stuff on Etsy, watch 'Two Weeks Notice' (I know!), and tidy up a bit. Then I made dinner( I love making Sunday dinner),and for pudding, we had waffles!

Our table ready for dinner. We had haggis, turnip and mashed potato.
It looks cute no?

Now for Dave and I, Sunday waffles are a tradition, and one we rarely miss. I place great importance in traditions because to a certain extent I think they are what glue people together, providing routine and familiarity when things are hectic, providing memories for when we are old. The thing about us having waffles together is that it will always be a nice memory, eventually including our children (hopefully) and I think those are invaluable. We usually have waffles as breakfast, but when we got up today it was almost lunch, so we had some soup(which I shall blog later!), and decided to have the waffles for pud.


The thing about this waffle mix is, it's essentially a fluffy pancake batter, so if you don't have a waffle machine, you can just fry this and have really good pancakes!

Dry ingredients and wet ingredients in my nice red baking bowls!

Basic Waffle Batter
(can't remember where I found this)

175g plain flour
1tbsp baking powder
2tbsp sugar
300ml milk
2 tbsp sunflower/veg oil
2 eggs

Additions

-2tbsp cinnamon and a small apple, grated
-2tbsp cinnamon and a handful of sultanas/raisins
-2tbsp chocolate chips and 1 tsp vanilla essence
-2tbsp fresh blueberries

Toppings

- For pudding, we have vanilla ice cream and honey with a sprinkle of cinnamon
- chocolate spread
-jam
-single cream
-yogurt
-chocolate chips

Waffles +Mackie's Ice Cream + Honey = Heaven!

• Mix dry ingredients, including ground spices
• mix wet ingredients
• mix together till batter is relatively smooth(leaving some lumps seems to help it rise)
• mix in any additional ingredients(raisins, apple, choc chips etc)
• If making waffles, oil/butter waffle machine, add 3 tbsp od batter per waffle section, and cook roughly 3 mins
• if making pancakes, cook 3tbsp batter on medium heat for about 1 and a half minute each side in a frying pan.
  

We had cinnamon and apple waffles with honey and ice cream, and it is lovely and gooey and comforting. Now, I'm watching Xtra Factor and looking through the new blog posts that have found their way into my reader.

Do you have a Sunday tradition?

... on some recent readings!

I last posted my reading list at the end of June, when I had not quite managed 50 in 6 months. I was aiming for 100 this year, but I'm going to have to hurry up if I'm going to manage! Moving and new jobs and things have gotten in the way of my reading, but here's what I've read in addition to the list

44. Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix - J.K. Rowling
45. The Chocolate Run - Dorothy Koomson
46. Light on Snow - Anita Shreve
47. The Weekend - William McIlvanney
48. So Many Ways to Begin - Jon McGregor
49. March - Geraldine Brooks
50. People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks
51. High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
52. Waterland - Graeme Swift
53. All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy
54. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark
55. Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
56. The Picture of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wild
57. The Host - Stephenie Meyer
58. Goodnight, Beautiful - Dorothy Koomson
59. 12 Days - Edited by Shelley Silas
60. All He Ever Wanted - Anita Shreve
61. The Last Time They Met - Anita Shreve
62. Samantha Smythe's Modern Family Journal - Lucy Cavendish
63. Elegance - Katherine Tessaro
62. The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood

I've been trying to read more classic literature, and I like Americana, so I have another of Cormac McCarthy's books to read, as I enjoyed 'All the Pretty Horses'. I'm also going to read some more Stienbeck.The only book that disappointed me alot in this list is Elegance, because although it was well written, the main character was self-indulgent, which annoyed me! Both of the Anita Shreve titles I've added to my list were excellent, her writing is consistently very good. I really enjoyed The Host, it's very good Sci-fi/fantasy. Everyone should read as much of Margaret Atwood and of Muriel Spark (who is a legendary Scottish writer) as they can!

I am a bit disappointed that I've only read 18 books in three and a half months, not counting re-reading the Twilight Saga and The Host. Thats only one book a week, which is not really good enough. There are 10 weeks left in the year, which means I have to read 4 books a week to actually read 100. Now that I spend 10 hours a week on the bus to my job, I might manage!

...appreciates the good things

In her Friday Favourites post this week Julia of The Red Otter Shop tells us about the yumminess in her life, and asks 'Whats your yumminess?'. There are alot of good things in my life, so here are some of them!

My husband - He makes me laugh, he makes good chilli, he has good ethics, he has a Springsteen lyric for every situation, and he makes me a cup of tea in the morning.

Dave at Lexapalooza

Our flat, which might be small, but is cosy and it is home.

Having a job I truly love. It's been a long time coming, but it is goooood.

Autumn, because now that we live in Dundee, it feels like autumn, not like it's gone straight from summer to winter. It's often sunny and crisp, and everything is turning gold, amber, red and brown.

Being lucky enough to have lots of books, and pretty much being able to get more whenever I want (thats what charity shops are for!). The new Anita Shreve comes out on November 5th, and I am very excited!

one of my many piles of books which we have no shelves for here

Going to gigs alot! North Lincoln on Sunday, Oxjam Glasgow next weekend!

Wearing jumpers and scarves! Mon the woolly stuff! Autumn is nothing if not an excuse for more accessories!

My new scarf

Eating soup alot. Autumn and winter are the soup seasons. I eat soup all year round, but I eat alot more of it this time of year.

The fact that at this time of year, cinnamon and ginger and all the really good flavours come out!

Thinking about (yes I am going to say it) Christmas. I am already planning my homemade presents, and cards. Don't judge me.

Hot drinks. Tea or hot chocolate, or hot purple juice, all of them are good in your belly.

Nights drawing in earlier. I love eating my tea and watching TV with Dave or reading a book in our wee flat when it's dark outside. It's so cosy!


What are the things that make your life yummy?

...makes soup when she is ill.

My friends joke about how domestic I am - I have been referred to as a '5Os housewife' numerous times. I love cooking and baking, and I like things to look neat and cosy (spell check is trying to tell me cosy isn't a word. I beg to differ spell checker!) and presentable. I like to know people are happy and comfortable. I even like cleaning. Most of the time my clothes at least match. So I can see where the image has come from.

Today, I am the exactly opposite of this image. I feel awful, I am clearly getting the flu. I get colds and viral things alot, because my immune system isn't very good. Normally I just have a sit down day and then push through it, but this one has floored me a bit. So this soup has been made by a girl wearing mismatched pjs, socks and a blanket, In a flat that needs tidying. A girl who didn't get up till 10 and has been watching TV(Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, Everwood and Project Runway so far), drinking Earl Grey tea and not moving much since.

Some people might wonder why I am even bothering to make soup. I was going to make it yesterday, after my job interview, and ended up making frozen chips, mozzarella and bacon for my dinner instead(It was gooood). The thing is, I need soup, It's one of the things that automatically makes me feel better. I need soup that is a bit stodgy and essentially a proper meal, that has lots and lots of flavour. I need a big, huge pot of soup so that I don't have to cook again until Dave comes home tomorrow and can cook for me. And so I made this soup, my mum's leek and potato soup, with the addition of some bacon and some mustard. If you ask me, there aren't many (savoury) things that bacon and mustard can't make better.

Leek, Potato and Bacon Soup
(Recipe by my mum, and added to by me)

2tbsp EV olive oil
2 small red onions (if you use brown onions, add 1 clove of garlic, minced)
4 leeks
2 small carrots
4 rashers of smoked bacon, roughly chopped
5 pints stock (i used chicken, but any would be fine),
1-2 tbsp French wholegrain mustard
5 medium potatoes, roughly cubed (I used Roosters, also I don't remove the skin blend the soup)
Salt and pepper to taste (I used 7 twists of pepper and a pinch of salt)

• grate onions, carrots and one of the leeks
• heat oil in large soup pot, add grated veg and bacon
• cook till veg is soft and bacon is cooked through
• add 4 pints of stock and mustard, simmer for 3 mins
• chop remaining leeks into 1-2cm pieces
• add leeks and soup to the pot simmer 45 mins
• stir occasionally, and top up with stock if needed
  
• in last 15 mins, mash mixture occasionally, and add salt a pepper to taste
• I blended it, but its nice just mashed a bit too

I had this with white bread (carbs all the way), out of a cup,sitting on the sofa in my pjs and watching tv. This soup is perfect when you are ill, because it's essentially a well balanced meal but isn't not difficult to eat with a sore throat. It's comforting and flavoursome, with a bit of smokiness from the bacon and a bit of spice from the mustard. Its good enough that I'll happily eat it for two days, which takes away the effort of making anything else.

P.s. Even if you aren't ill, it's really good, and it freezes really well, so its good 'one I prepared earlier' food! Also, if you use brown onions and pale skinned potatoes, the soup will look more like what you'd expect of potato and leek!

...Job, jobs jobs!

This will be a quick post, as I slept for a total of about 2 hours last night, got up at 5 and looked after two children today, with the cold, and have to do the same tomorrow. I will be going to bed super early, to save myself from becoming a puddle of ick tomorrow.

Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes jobs! Firstly, My nannying job is going brilliantly! Today was the start of the third week of my trial month, and I have been hired permanently. Also, I LOVE it! We went for a walk, read stories, did puzzles, made a very big train track, sang songs,did some cleaning and posted some stuff(Also, feeding two small children at the same time is a challenge). Its tiring, but it's FUN!

Also, I replied to an add on Gumtree last week (I heart Gumtree) for a part time hotel receptionist, and said that I wouldn't be able to work Tusday, Wednesday or Thursday, and they have still offered me an interview! It's at two on Thursday, and its 16-24 hours a week, which works out at two or three days. If I get this job, we might actually be able to have *gasp* SAVINGS! Also, I could maybe get a KitchenAid Mixer!

It's strange to think that a month ago, I was unsettled about being unemployed!

... chicken stew for the soul.

Tomorrow is the first of my two 5am starts for this week, and for some reason, It makes me feel prepared to have had a hearty home cooked meal the night before. My job, though not difficult, is fairly active, so I think I am just stocking up like a camel! I also know that by the time I get home tomorrow, I will be exhausted and won't want to cook, so I like to know that I've made a nice meal for Dave and I, as he will be cooking tomorrow(on a tangent here, the other meat we have is mince, which means Dave might make his chilli tomorrow! Excited!). It may seem very old fashioned, but I am proud of the fact that I cook dinner most days. On days like this when its cold, you need something homely and filling, and that's exactly what this recipe is!

A long time ago, I was looking for a recipe which used chicken as the main ingredients. I had been reading Smitten Kitchen for a while, and knew that Deb would provide something I could work from! The thing I love about her recipes is often, you can adjust them for what you have at home as long as you have the key ingredients. I found her recipe for Chicken and Leeks with Dumplings, and I had to make it. The dumpling recipe I use with it is an amalgamation of the ones my mum taught me to make, and ones I found in a seasonal cookbook.

This recipe have become a family, and by family I mean Dave and Lisa, favourite. We have it often, and its always filling and warming(and very cheap to make). It's getting ever cold here in Dundee, and it is now that recipes like that show their value! As I said, my mum taught me to make dumplings, and they are a sign of the season for me(on another tangent, they are really good with beef stew as well). This stew will be made alot through autumn and winter, to keep us warm(our heating is electric, I don't like switching it on, call me stingy if you want) and fill our tummies. If you want to fill your tummies and heat yourself up too, read on!

Chicken and Leeks with Herby Dumplings (for 2)

(Stew adapted from recipe by Deb, dumplings from my mum and 101 Seasonal Treats by Olive)

For Stew

2 breast of chicken (chopped into small pieces)

tsp olive oil

tsp butter

1 leek

half an onion

half a tbsp flour

tbsp red wine vinegar

4cups chicken stock

tbsp milk

1 and a half tbsp herbs (I am using 1 of parsely and half of sage, the recipe suggests thyme)

2 bay leaves

pink of salt

Preparation!

For Dumplings

35g butter (in blobs)

75g self-raising flour

half a small grated onion

tsp herbs

few twists of black pepper

warm water

• I make the dumplings first so that they are ready to drop in when its time
• mix together all but the water, squashing with fingers
• when combined, ad water a desserspoonful at a time to make a soft, sticky dough (should take between 2 and three)
• break into 6 small rough ball shapes

• heat the oil in a pan
• add chicken and brown
• remove chicken from pan, leaving oil
• add butter and melt in
• add leeks, onions and salt and cook till soft
• add flour and herbs, stirring flour is absorbed
• whisk in wine
• add broth, milk and bay leaf
• add chicken and simmer for half an hour
• drop dumpling onto the top of the stew, place lid on pan, and cook for half an hour.
• serve in a bowl(the sauce is quite runny) and eat!

Whe you see what it looks like in the pot, you don't expect this end result!

This is lovely with white wine, or some nice blonde beer, or if you really need warming up, a cup of tea! It's also a one pot thing, wich is a bonus of you ask me(our sink is tiny, a normal load of dishes takes me two loads to do)!

Psst, I may or may not be following this up with chocolate cake at this very moment!

..made cake number two, the chocolate cake of wonders!

About a year and a half ago, when I had just started reading blogs, I found The Traveller's Lunchbox , a blog of recipes by a rather lovely lady called Melissa. She takes her own photo's which in themselves are worth quite a few looks, her writing is wonderful, and every recipe I've tried has been fanstastic! I am still genuinely excited every time she posts something new.

Browsing through her picture gallery, I was draw to an image of a deep, dark chocolate cake. As I mentioned im my last post, Katie made me her recipe for choclate cake, and so, I made the one by Melissa to return the favour!

I urge you to read Melissa's post one it, and her writing is so much more eloquent and beautiful than mine, but I will say that the texture of it is amazing. At room temperature, It is crumbly and sllightly truffle like. Refrigerated, it is like a thick, cream ganache. Heated(for 10 seconds in the microwave, I know I'n terrible!) it becomes brownie-ish, but so much better than a brownie. Add some vanilla ice-cream to it, and its heaven in a bowl!

Chocolate Truffley Cake

(adapted from recipe by Melissa at The Traveller's Lunchbox)

300g dark chocolate, with at least 70% cocoa solids, but if you can, use 85%

200g caster sugar

6 eggs (separated)

125g butter (I use salted, the recipe ask for salt anyway, and it means needing 1 less ingredient!)

1tsp instant coffee (use good stuff, it's worth it!)

100g ground almonds (any ground nuts would be fine though)

(the original recipe also adds 1tap vanilla and 2 tbsp liqueur, I leave both out as I think it takes away from the btterness of the chocolate, add them if you like things on the sweet side).

• melt chocolate, butter and coffee together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Don't let the bottom of the bown touch the water, burnt choclate is both saddening and icky. It should look smooth, thick and shiny.
• preaheat oven to 180c
• set aside to cool a little
• meanwhile, beat half the sugar into the egg yolks
• but the slightly cooled choc mixture into it, a little at a time
• using an electric or stand mixer, beat the whites with the other half of the sugar, till soflty peaked
• stir half into the choclate mixture, then and the remaining half, and stir just until no white shows
• pour into a roughly 9 inch pan (I use an 8 inch square or a 10 inch round, both are fine)

• bake for 25 - 40 mins, but star checking after 20. I use a stainless steel knife to check, and stop cooking when there are traces of almost cookd batter on it.

This cake looks like lots of effort has gone into it once you have sliced it, though really it is relatively easy. It is lovely with whipping cream, vanilla ice cream, or raspberry sauce. The flavour gets better the longer it's left, I made it two days ago now, and it tastes even better today, so leae it as long as you can!

Katie enjoying her cake slightly warmed. She had two pieces!

I was thinking maybe, so that you can compare as I did, I could ask Katie to post her Chocolate Cake recipe?

...cake fit for a Snow Queen

On Saturday, My freind Katie came to Dundee to visit and stay over. Katie is the friend with whom I go for tea and cake most frequently, and with whom I share my love of baking, so it is only right that I made a cake for her coming to visit!

Last time Katie came to visit, she brought us some very yummy chocolate cake and I promised I would make her my best one in return. I have done, and will post the recipe for it after this one. So yes, I was all set on making the chocolate cake and THEN last night, I saw the lovely Grace's post about Coconut-Crusted Sour Cream Pound Cake and I had to make it! It looks like Christmas! Off to the supermarket we went to get the ingredients I didn't have, and at 9.30 on saturday morning, I was busy a-baking!

The thing about this cake is, it tastes AMAZING! It's got a fresh, slightly tart, but still a bit sweet taste. The creamy icing and the sweetness of the coconut adds a depth of flavour and lovely texture. Also, we went out of Saturday night, and were not in the best shape on Sunday morning, and I have to say it's good hangover food. We have taken to having it for breakfast because it is perfect with a cup of tea, but it could just as easily be a dessert after dinner.

I asked Grace if it would be ok for me to blog this recipe, as it took me a wee while to convert the measurments from American cups to UK cups and then grams, and she very sweetly said I could! Thanks Grace!

Coconut Crusted Sour Cream Pound Cake

(Recipe by Paula Deen, stolen from A Southern Grace )

For Cake

190g Butter

310g sugar

18oml soured cream

300g cups self-raising flour

6 eggs

(The original recipe calls for 1tso vanilla essence, I omitted it, but feel free to include it!)

For Icing

85g butter

200g soft cheese

300g icing sugar

(again the recipe says to use vanilla, which I didn't)

75g coconut(recipe asks for 100g)

• preheat oven to 325f/190c
• Grease and flour 10 inch cake tin (if not non-stick, also I used a slicone ring mould)
• Cream together butter and sugar
• add in sour cream, and stir till combined
• add flour a bit at a time, alternating with and egg each time (bit of flour - egg - bit of flour) beating well each time
• bake for about 1 hour 20 mins(our oven is fan assisted, so it took an hour)
• remove and leave to cool

• Whilst cake is cooling, blend all butter, icing sugar and soft cheese in a bowl, leave half an hour to firm up
• when cake is cooled, spread on (I did it messy and swirly)
• sprinkle( coat!) with coconut(difficult on the sides, you kind of have to tilt the plate, but its worth it!

... shows you here wee flat (it's like blogger Cribs!)

So, as you could probably tell from the last post full of recipe photos, I have my camera in Dundee finally! I thought this the perfect chance to show you around our flat!

First, our tiny living room/kitchen.

This is our living room , the photo is taken from the door. I am very pleased that the nice red sofas came with the flat. We haven't brought up our book shelves yet, so the ledge is jammed full of books, and we still have box loads. It's a work in progress - pictures need to go up, we need curtains, we need an extension so that the tv wire isnt half way across the room, and we need record storage - but it's getting there, though it looks a bit boring still.

This is our kitchen, in the corner of our living room. You can see its very small, and therefore a bit cluttered, but we've made it our own with all of our bits of stuff! We also use the dinner table(which needs a table cloth) as a kitchen extention, for cookbooks and the fruitbowl and for

serving up.

And now, our lovely big bedroom.

Our headboard used to be a fireplace! I am still moving around objects, and a big picture will go on the wall above it( the prints on the mantle are Escher).

My reading place! I love this big deep windowseat, cosied up with a throw and some cushions! We might get a horizontal bookcase to go along the bottom of it (providing ample cup of tea and cake space).

Look at the lovely ceiling rose! Hands up if you think I need a fancy chandelier?

An the cornicing, I love it!

It looks quite bare still, we have to put up picture and curtains in both rooms, and we also can't paint which is annoying. The living room will look better when we have a bookcase for the books. For the moment though, it's home, and it's relatively cosy!

... pumpkin soup for autumn days.

Dave and I were wandering round the supermarket at half past nine a few nights ago, trying to get some food for the week(we don't always go there, we also use Lidl alot), and in the vegetable aisle, I found pumpkins! Last year, when they were in season, I tried out a couple of things, but nothing very adenturous. Dave actually said ' What are you going to make with it?' to which I replied ' I don't know, but I want one!'. Look how cheap it was!

So yesterday, as I sat at home with my smeggy cold, I decided I wanted to make some soup with it, but with some different flavours. We had dried chorizo in the fridge, and so my plan was born. I found a recipe in The Independent Online, and embelished it a little!

Pumpkin and Chorizo Soup

(adapted from a recipe by Mark Hix for The Independent)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, squished in the garlic squisher, or very finly chopped

1 pinch chilli flakes(in place of 1 tsp thyme)

120g chorizo(the recipe said cooking, but I have used dried, and it seems fine)

1 tbsp flour

2 pints chicken stock (veg would work, also the recipe said 1.5 pints, and I found it not enough)

500-600g firm pumpkin flesh cubed to about 2inches (I used 600g)

1 tbsp parsely (the recipe said chopped, I used dried becuase we have it)

salt and pepper to season

• cook onions, garlic, chilli flakes and chorizo in the olive oil in a large pan for around 3 mins, till cooked but not coloured
• stir in flour, still cooking for about 1 min(onions should go golden)
• add in stock, stirring quickly to prevent lumps
• simmer for 10 mins (recipe said 30, but I am not that patient)
• add pumpkin and parsley
• add pepper and salt to your own taste
• boil for 20 mins (recipe says 15 mins, mine needed a little more, and I added a little more stock at this point.

The recipe says to blend one ladleful of the mixture, and leave the rest chunky. I instead fished out some of the chorizo and blended it all coursely, then put the chorizo back in. I am really pleased with this soup, it actually tastes like autumn! It's spicy, creamy, and meaty all at the same time! Next time I make it, I may add a tiny bit of ginger for freshness.

... on somewise words

" Outside of a dog, a book is a man's

best friend. Inside of a dog, it is too

dark to read. "

Groucho Marx

I have gotten up very early two days in a row, and travelled for 10 hours on buses. I have the cold (the husband caught Freshers' flu, and I now seem to have it).

I don't have to do much of anything today, so I shall be spending some time with (according to Marx) man's second best friend. I will be reading 'The Blind Assassin' by Margaret Atwood, and ' The book of a Thousand Days' by Shannon Hale.

There is nothing that makes me feel more comfortable than a cup of tea and a book. :)

P.s. Even with the travelling, the jobs is still great!

...loves life(and her new job!)

So yes, my new job! On Tuesday, I got up at 5am to gt ready to go. Thats right, 5am, not the crack of dawn, waaay before the crack of dawn. Having packed my bag the night before, I got washed and dressed, and was on my way to the bus station by twenty to six. My bus is at ten past six, and I got there in plenty of time.

For some reason, the Citylink bus man felt it would be 'funny' to say ' all of the buses are cancelled due to water on the road. Cue me having a major inner panic! Theye weren't though, and but 6.15, I was on my way to Perth. During this bit of my journey, day started to dawn, and I have to say, there is something very nice about watching the world come to life. It feels a bit like I've stolen some extra time. The bus got to Perth, and I transfered to the Kinross bus, and got there without anything eentful happening, except me falling asleep, then waking up and not knowing where I was! At Kinross, I waited half an hour for my bus to Crook of Devon to come - it's a tiny place, and there are only 6 buses a day!

So that actual job. I work in a big old Gerorgian style Victorian farmhouse, with a lovely family, who are appreciative of me being there. On a Tuesday, I have two children to look after, and on a Wednesday, I have one. I don't want to say much about them, just for the safety of the kids, but I have bonded with them already, and they re really sweet, bright and clever children. Looking after them is actually a pleasure. It's very early days, but I really love this job!

It took me 3 hours to get back to Dundee due to bus delays, and it was REALLY cold, so that bit of the day was not so fun! In the proper winter, I think the travelling will be hard, but the job feels worthwhile enough that I am willing to do it. The job will also pay for my learning to drive, so that will help in the end!

For the first time in a while, I don't feel overwhelmed by life. I am happy in my homelife, with my husband and family and freinds, and happy in work, doing something which I loe, and for which I'm appreciated. I need to find a llittle job thats maybe 2 days a week, but other than that, everything is REALLY good!

... 10 things to know about me

I have been tagged by the lovely Fay of Dremaing of an Aga. Fay is a lovely person, full of craftiness! She lives life in a way that I think must be very fulfilling, and she is the kind of person I want to be when I grow up (a little bit, she's fun, so she might object to being called grown up).

So, without any further ado, here are 10 things to know about me;

1. I am very, very close to my little sister, sometimes in a very over-protective, parenty way. I love her dearly, she is lovely, And she just got engaged(sorry for spilling your news Hazel)!

2. I DO NOT like peas. or sweetcorn. I was brought up to eat whatever people give me, even if I don't like it, but I can't do it with peas or sweetcorn. The thought of it makes me feel sick!

3. I like cheese alot. Dave and I were given a cheeseboard with fancy knives for Chrsitmas two years ago, and now whenever we have enough money, we buy an assortment of cheeses. It makes us feel posh and grown up!

4.Whilst moving, I have moved six boxes of books to Dundee, and still have at least 8 more. I can't give books away, even if they are rubbish, and I keep buying them. I must always have 6 books I haven't read, or I get a funny uncomfortable feeling.

5. When we look at houses to buy, one of my stipulations is that at some point in our life, I will have a turret room lined with shelves to fill with my books, with a day-bed that fits into a curved window, and a big desk for my sewing machine and art things(hopefully at another window). I will have this at some point. If it could be a two floor turret so that we could have a round kitchen table in the turret with built in seating, that would be lovely.

6. I rarely pay full price for anything other than food. I love charity and bric-a-brac shops, and buy most of my clothes in the sales.

7. I would love a KitchenAid Artisan Mixer in Empire Red. It would complete my kitchen. I have been promised we will get one when we can afford it, and until then, I will continue to dream!

8. I am allergic to latex. No rubber gloves for me!

9. I have never been on an aeroplane. When we go to Poland at Crimble-time, it will be the first time ever, and the flight is over 3 hours. I'm not afraid just now, and I hope it stays that way.

10. This is the first time since I started nursery at the age of 3 that I haven't been in a school environment regularly. I am quite enjoying learning what I choose to learn(though I loved school, and college and Uni)!

Ok, so the people I shall tag to do this are

Charlotte, of A Slice of Organic Life

Lacey, of Perks of Being a JAP

Lisa D, of Knitting Yarns

Lisa E, of Happily Ever After in Seattle

Serena, of Cowdy Calling

Vonnie, of Adventures of a Lady in Training

... my 1 year blogiversary (a week late)

My birthday cake, picture by my father-in-law - It's somewhat appropriate

I was just having a look back through my blog posts, and realised that I have been blogging for year (plus a week) now! I had been thinking about starting one for a few months before, and with some encouragement from Lisa, and my ever supportive husband, I did so.

I originally started my blog just to mark important things and moment in my life. Putting it on the interwebs means I have no fear of losing something I have invested time in, and I have enjoyed using my blog to do so. Initially, I looked at newlyweds blogs alot, which is how I found Lisa, who I am now happy to call my freind :). I've become something of a cooking blog fanatic, which I think shows in some of my posts. I have even thought of making a separate cooking blog, but I like this mish-mash of Lisa-ness! More recently that that even, I have made, I think, blogger freinds with people who live a bit closer to home, particularly Hannah and Serena.

I have mentioned only a few people, But the food blogs I follow are fantastic, and I urge anyone who likes food to have a look! As well as this, the majority of the more personal blogs I follow are written by lovely people, who give me support and help celebrate achievements. Every one of them is very, very talented. Again, I think they are muchly worth following!

Thank you to everyone who has commented, given me advice, shared these bits of my life and made me smile! Thanks also to Dave for not having a huff when I spend 5 minutes taking pictures of his dinner or pudding before he gets to eat it!